


Over And Out

by banes_trash



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Gay Panic, M/M, Minor Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Minor Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Minor Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper, Minor Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2020-03-02 06:11:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18805330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banes_trash/pseuds/banes_trash
Summary: Sorry I've not written in a whole month but I'm back now :)





	1. Chapter 1

Will was stood with Mike and Dustin, in front of a circular table at the snowball.

Lucas had just asked Max to dance and she had accepted his offer. All three of them watched as she lead him to the dance floor. Dustin looked heartbroken, but not confused. Almost like he saw it coming. 

He now stood further away from Mike and Will, who seemed to be standing closer to eachother.

Will noticed as well because he felt his heart start to beat faster and as his breathing started to quicken, he felt like he was lightheaded. As if he would pass out or throw up at any moment. 

What if Mike was doing it on purpose? 

What if Eleven wasn't coming and he was going to ask Will to dance instead? 

What if Mike liked him the way he did? 

But then an unrecognisable voice snapped him out of his day dreaming. It was a girl with dark, curly hair, even with Will being gay he could see she was pretty. She seemed dorky, perfect for him. 

The only problem was that she wasn't Mike, but neither were most people. 

And the one person that was, just happened to be straight. Well, Will was pretty sure. But even if he was like bi or something, he still liked Eleven and Will wouldn't stand a chance.

Eleven, or El as Mike called her, was actually really nice. After the Upside Down incident, Eleven and Will had a brother and sister relationship. They had shared trauma and that was what drew them together. 

Will was just sad that she was in a relationship with his best friend/crush. 

Will had never told him his feelings because he cared more about their friendship and telling him would ruin it. 

The cute girl walked up to Will and Mike. 'Hey, Zombie Boy. You wanna dance?' 

Will couldn't help but notice she said zombie boy. It hurt him but he knew it was a joke and she wasn't saying it to be mean. 

Then Will realized what she had said. She asked him to dance. SHE asked HIM to DANCE. And Mike was there and he definitely heard her as well. 

Mike had realised that Will hadn't said anything yet. He lightly nudged his side and then it progressively got more forceful. 'Um..um...I don't...' He trailed off. He knew he didn't want to dance with her but what would he say?

That he doesn't like her? 

That he was waiting for someone? 

That he doesn't like girls?

That he was gay? 

No. Mike was there so he couldn't say any of that. He would just have to accept. Mike was going to dance with Eleven anyway. 'I mean yeah. Yeah. Sure. Cool.' Will walked over to the dance floor. 

'Every breath you take' started playing. He placed his hands on her waist and started to sway side-to-side, just like he'd done earlier with his mum. He put on a fake smile. 

Will was with the cute girl, dancing awkwardly. But his eyes weren't on the cute girl. They were on - Mike who was dancing with Eleven. Their eyes firmly locked. Will couldn't stop staring and the girl didn't seem to notice so he didn't look away.

He saw that Mike was smiling, Mike was happy. And so was Eleven. He felt happy for them. 

But it instantly turned into jealousy. He knew he would regret looking at him, all happy and in love. But not with him. 

He then saw Mike lean in to kiss Eleven. 

He immediately felt sick, he could feel the heat burn up in his cheeks. His vision went grey and he stumbled whilst swaying. The girl now noticed and grew worried. 'Hey, are you okay?' she asked, now holding onto him to steady his balance. He felt very spaced out, almost as if he was underwater. His heart quickened and his breathing became short and rapid. 

Was this how he was going to die? 

Having a panic attack over his crush kissing his girlfriend? 

Surely not, right? 

Will couldn't even reply to the girl. 

She grabbed his arm and began to pull him towards the main exit. 

When he realised what she was doing, he froze and refused to move. 

To get to the main exit, he'd have to walk past Mike and Eleven, who were now swaying whilst cuddling. He couldn't do that. 

The girl looked around and had to forcefully push him in the opposite direction. It got him away from Mike so he didn't complain. Before he knew it he was being dragged through a crowd and into one of the smaller classrooms. 

They sat down on one of the desks and Will tried to calm down. His head stopped spinning and his breathing slowed down. 

After a few minutes, the classroom door swung open. 

Jonathan barged in and immediately sat down next to Will and wrapped his arms around him. Will actually found it quite comforting and sunk into his hug. 

Jonathan started to talk to the girl, 'What happened? Is he alright? Will, are you alright?'

The girl answered for him, 'He seemed a bit spaced out and he was staring at some guy with black, curly hair and I'm guessing his girlfriend. I figured it would help to take him into this classroom where he could calm down.' Will's heart started to quicken again. Even the mention of Mike made his heart go crazy. 

Especially in front of his brother. 

Did he even know about his feelings for Mike? 

Like, Jonathan knew he was gay but did he know about Mike? 

His brother gave him a side glance and held him tighter. 

'Thank you for taking care of Will. Oh yeah, I forgot to ask for your name?' No matter what, Jonathan would always be there for Will. 

'My name's Michelle. What's yours?'

Michelle. Wait, her name was MICHELLE? 

As in Mike, Michelle, MIKE. She was literally the female version of Mike. 

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 

'Mine's Jonathan. I'm really sorry about this and I'm sure Will is as well but we should probably go now, our mum's probably wondering where we are. It was nice to meet you.' 

That was a huge lie, Joyce said that she would give them as much time as they needed. Jonathan must have realised that Will wasn't feeling great. Therefore, making an excuse was the quickest way to get out of there. 

Jonathan gave Will a piggyback ride as he still couldn't keep his balance and his legs were shaking. They took the back exit and eventually made there way to the front, where they were met by Joyce and Hopper standing by their cars. 

'Hi, hunny. Oh no! What happened? Why are you out so early?' Joyce was now extremely worried and Hopper was also concerned. 

Will couldn't do this. 

Not now. Not tonight. He needed sleep, he'd had an exhausting day and he couldn't be bothered to discuss his already taken crush. 

'Sorry to worry you mum, it's just that Will's been through a lot today and he needs some sleep. And don't worry, he just got a little overwhelmed, he's okay.'

Will smiled, for the first time that night, he actually smiled. 

Jonathan placed Will in the car while Joyce hugged Hopper before she opened the car door and got in. 

'Hey, Will, I know you're not in the mood to discuss what happened but I want to know. Not tonight but maybe tomorrow because that's the only way I will be able to help you,' she smiled at her two boys. 

When they got home, Will decided to grab some ice-cream before heading to his room. 

His brother followed him soon after. 

He closed the door. He knew Will didn't want to talk about it but his little brother seemed to have a panic attack and he wasn't there to help him. The least he could do was talk to him, try to help him. 

'Hey Will, do you wanna talk about it?' Will was unsure but he just wanted to talk about Mike. 

He was so sick of it being a secret. 

'Okay. But I want to hear what happened from your point of view first.'

'So, you were dancing with that girl and you got distracted by Mike and Eleven and then you had a panic attack and then Michelle took you into a classroom where you tried to calm down. Then I came in and you know the rest.' 

'Okay, that's pretty accurate.'

'Thing is, I know what happened but I don't know how you went from dancing to having a panic attack.'

'Basically, what happened was I was dancing and I... I saw Mike and Eleven kiss. I don't know why it happened.' 

'But you do, don't you? Look, you're my little brother, Will the Wise, I'll always be there for you. Why did you get overwhelmed by Mike and Eleven kiss?' 

'I...um...I like Mike.'


	2. Chapter 2

He didn't even seem surprised. 

Will didn't even know whether that was a good or a bad thing. 

'Do you want me to be honest?' Will suddenly tensed up. 

Was this a bad idea? 

'Okay...,' Will said slowly. 

'I already knew. I just wanted you to say it. You and Mike were always closer to each other than anyone else in the party. Not to mention that whenever he comes round or he talks you act like no one else is in the room. You turn red from him just looking at you. It's pretty obvious. For me at least...' 

Will was now lost in thought. His brother knew. Wow. He knew that every time he looked at Mike, he became an awkward mess. 

'You okay, bud?' Jonathan was smiling at him. 

'Oh. Yeah. I'm fine. It's just a bit weird that every time I thought I was being secretive, I was actually making it really obvious. It's been 8 years and...' He laughed at himself. It sounded almost stupid that he kept it to himself for that long! 

'Do you think if I told him about my feelings earlier, then he would be with me and not El?' Jonathan was now sitting closer to his brother on his bed. 

'I don't know, buddy. But you guys are still friends, right? Whether he liked you or not doesn't matter at the moment. What matters is that he was there for you throughout everything, even with the Upside Down and everything you went through, he was there. So he wouldn't give up on you now,' Will had never really thought of it like that, 'he wouldn't give up on you, I won't and mum won't either. It's going to be okay.' He ruffled his hair. 'You wanna watch a movie?' 

'Yeah. But only if I get to choose!' Jonathan smirked, 'Deal!' 

'Hey, guys, Hopper's coming round so don't choose something too scary!' Joyce said from the other room. 

Joyce and Hopper were talking more often. They weren't an official couple yet as it seemed to soon. Everyone knows that it would happen eventually though. But they didn't want to force it, especially after what happened to Bob. But Hopper was making her happy, and that was all that mattered. 

'Ghostbusters it is then,' Will said after a few moments of deciding. All four of them came into the living room after getting snacks and soda cans from the fridge. Joyce and Hopper sat next to eachother on the couch and Will and Jonathan were sat on the floor, munching on crisps and popcorn. 

Will felt safe. He didn't have to pretend to be someone he wasn't. All the people in that room were there for him, and so was everyone else. Will was in control of his life. He could tell his mum, his friends and Mike when ever he wanted. He wanted to just be himself. He grinned when realised that. 

He wanted to be happy. 

Mike wasn't going to hate him, he knew that, and neither was his mum. Or Hopper or any of his friends. 

He felt so comfortable that he must have fallen asleep. 

He woke up to Jonathan stroking his hair, 'Hey, buddy, you were asleep for the the majority of the film.' 

Joyce entered the living room, 'Guys, Hopper just left. I'm pretty tired so I'm gonna go to bed now.' 

That meant that the Snowball had finished and his friends would notice that he was gone. He just hoped that Michelle had stayed and would tell them what happened. 

Well... not exactly what happened. 

'This is the last song of the night,' the DJ called out, shouting so he could be heard over the loud music. Mike and Eleven danced as soon as the song came on. It was very upbeat, and the disco lights flickered around the room, lighting up various objects. 

Once the song was over, most of them started to leave the school hall and made there way to the car park. 

Mike, Eleven, Lucas, Dustin and Max eventually found eachother when the hall had been cleared. 

It was then that Mike realised that Will wasn't there, he asked the rest of the party members if they had seen him. 

They all began to panic. Mike was the most worried out of all of them, Will was his best friend and he had no idea where he was. The last time something similar had happened was when they had to deal with the Upside Down. Mike couldn't loose him again!

Mike ran out of the hall, he was looking for Mr Clarke. 

'Sir, have you seen Will? We don't know where he is.' 

As everyone was leaving,  Michelle overheard the boy taking about Will. Once she turned around, she realised that he was the same boy Will had previously been looking at.  She could sense the worry in his voice. 

Were they friends? 

'Hey, I'm Michelle. I was dancing with Will and then his mum had to pick him early. He wasn't feeling so well.' Mike was relieved but still uncertain. Will wouldn't just go unless something serious had happened. Especially, when he didn't even tell the others he was leaving.'Oh okay, thank you,' Mike put on a fake smile. 

'No problem!' 

She didn't really know why she had lied, but she didn't really know what had happened to Will either so she couldn't tell him the truth. The only thing she knew was that he was safe, so she wasn't entirely lying. She smiled and walked out. 

Mike was still suspicious but was going to wait until the morning to talk to Will, just incase he was actually just ill. He told the rest of the party that he would go to Will's the next day. 

Hopper arrived to pick Eleven up. Mike hugged her and said goodbye. 

They all went back to their houses soon after. Mike couldn't stop thinking about whether Will was okay and Nancy definitely noticed, 

'Mike? What's wrong?' Mike looked up at his sister. 

'Tonight was great...it's just that Will left early. Apparently he wasn't feeling great but I just feel like I should have made sure he was okay.' 

Nancy could see how much he cared about Will. 

'Look, I'm sure he's okay. I guess Jonathan left as well, so pretty sure he'll be alright, he's with his brother and his mum.' 'You mean my best friend is with your boyfriend and Mrs Byers?' Nancy shoved him lightly, 

'Hey!' 

Mike smiled but then turned back to her, 'Do you think it'll be okay if I go over tomorrow? I just want to make sure he's okay.' 

'Sure, as long as Mrs Byers says that it's okay, then it'll should be fine!'

Karen arrived a few minutes later and apologized for being late. They drove home, talking but with the radio playing as background noise. Mike was pretty exhausted, he went to bed as soon as he got home. He couldn't wait to see Will the next day. 

He tossed and turned until his head started to hurt. Mike stumbled out of his bed and grabbed his walkie-talkie. 

'Will, it's Mike,' No reply. 

'I hope you're alright, the girl you were dancing said you were not feeling great and that you went home,' Still no reply. 

There was no use, everyone was probably asleep at this time of night. 

'I'm gonna go now. I just hope you're alright. I might come over tomorrow, only if it's okay though. Also, Will, please don't be scared to tell me if somethings wrong. If you think I'll just leave you, I won't. I would never do that to you, okay? Talk to me, I'll always listen. And I just want you to know, I like who I am when I'm around you. I like when we're together. I'll see you tomorrow. Over and out.' Mike put down the walkie-talkie and climbed back into bed. 

'I like when we're together,' why did it sound like something he would say to El. 

He was really tired. He didn't really think into it that much. Besides, Will didn't even hear it. 

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

It must have been around 1:30am when Will was woken up by static. 

With blurred vision, he searched his bedroom. On top of his desk lay his sketchbook. It was given to him as a birthday present. Jonathan bought him a sketchbook and Joyce had bought crayons to go with it. The first page was a drawing of his rainbow ship, then followed by some random sketches and a realistic drawing of Mike. 

~

About a year before the Upside Down, the four of them were sat on the field when Mike saw his sketchbook. 

'Can I look through it?' 

Will nodded and passed it to him. Mike studied every single one of his illustrations. 

When he'd looked through all of them, he opened and new page. He wrote something Will couldn't quite see. Then he held it out in front of Will. 

'A study of Mike Wheeler' was written at the top of the blank page. Will looked at him, confused. 

'I was thinking that you could draw me. Only if you want to obviously.' 

Will took his sketchbook from his hand. He'd never really drawn people before, it had always been characters or objects. But at least it got him out of his comfort zone. 

He took out one of his pencils and began to draw Mike. Mike started to talk with the others, smiling and joking with his friends. 

Will loved the way he looked, his freckles, his jawline, his cute hair and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. He made sure to draw his freckles exactly where they were. 

When Mike looked over, Will seemed so focused. He watched as Will's pencil glided across the paper. 

Will leaned back when he'd finished the final touches to view his work. He was extremely proud of his work, it looked exactly like Mike. 

Will held out his sketchbook in font of Mike. He took it delicately, as if it would rip if he wasn't careful enough. Will could pinpoint the exact moment when his face lit up. 

'Wow! This is amazing, Will! Can I add something to it?' 

Will nodded and handed over the pencil. 

When it returned back to him, he saw that Mike had added his signature to it. 

Will was glad he didn't show the others. It would just be their thing that only they knew about. 

'You drew me perfectly,' Mike smiled at him. 

'You are perfect,' Will murmured. 

But Mike had definitely heard him. 

Will seemed to get lost in his eyes. Neither of them moved a muscle, they just sat there staring at eachother. 

Dustin and Lucas just seemed to just disappear. 

Mike was now embarrassed, as his face turned a little pink. He became flustered. His eyes darted all over the place, trying not to catch Will's gaze. But Will still couldn't move his eyes away from him. Mike couldn't help but look at him. 

He took Will's hand in his and began to lean forward. If he was being honest, he had no idea what he was doing. Will realised what Mike was doing and also began to lean forward. Will's heart was going crazy. 

Was this actually happening? 

He was so absorbed into the moment that he must've forgotten to breathe. 

They were so close, lips almost touching. Their eyes were now shut, all Will had to do was lean a bit closer and then he would be kissing him. 

'Mike, which one's better, Cluedo or Monopoly?' Lucas asked. They were having a paper airplane contest, using ripped out paper from their English books. 

Mike jumped in surprise and leaned back, letting go of Will's hand. They both became embarrassed. It was almost as if they'd forgotten how to act. 

How were they supposed act like nothing happened when they were almost kissing? 

Lucas and Dustin didn't see them, they were decorating their airplanes. 

'Sorry what was the question?' Mike said after a few moments of being awkward. Lucas repeated the question. 

'Definitely Cluedo!' 

'See!' Lucas said to Dustin. 

'Whatever, I think Monopoly is better,' Dustin replied, now admiring his finished work. 

The school bell rang for the end of break.  
'Son of a bitch! Just put your airplane in your bag and we'll see who wins at lunch.' Lucas quickly finished decorating and started to imitate his airplane flying around. 

After putting them in their bags, they got up and started to walk away. 

'We've got English now, we'll see you guys at lunch.' 

With those two now gone, Mike could finally breath. He smiled apologetically at Will. The two of them ambled to Maths, talking about their dungeons and dragons game they had played the week before. 

They never mentioned what had happened, but they didn't need to. Will knew that Mike had liked him. But then everything changed, with the Upside Down and El. Will just hoped he still felt the same. 

~

Next to his sketchbook was his walkie-talkie. Still half asleep, he picked it up and tried to get it onto the right channel. 

As soon as he did, he heard Mike's voice. It was soft and sleepy. He loved when Mike sounded like this, he would ramble on for hours and hours. 

'Will, it's Mike.'  
Will had forgotten how to talk, he just wanted to listen to him forever. 

'I hope you're alright, the girl you were dancing said you were not feeling great and that you went home.'  
Will was so relieved that the girl didn't tell him what had actually happened. 

'I'm gonna go now. I just hope you're alright. I might come over tomorrow, only if it's okay though.' 

All he wanted to say was yes but nothing came out. 

'Also, Will, please don't be scared to tell me if somethings wrong. If you think I'll just leave you, I won't. I would never do that to you, okay? Talk to me, I'll always listen. And I just want you to know, I like who I am when I'm around you. I like when we're together. I'll see you tomorrow. Over and out.' 

Mike's voice was so comforting. Will pushed back tears, he was so lucky to have him as his best friend. 

'I like when we're together.' 

Wait. 

Did he mean to say that? 

Did Mike like him back? 

Did he just admit that he liked Will? 

Will shook his head. 

No. 

Mike liked El. He was just being a good friend. 

 

...right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've not written in a whole month but I'm back now :)

Mike got woken up by his mum at around 9am. There was a second where he had forgotten about everything. 

But then all of it came back to him, what he'd told Will and that he was going to visit him today. 

'Hey, mum, can I go round Will's today?' 

'Yeah, sure. Ted's still asleep though so you might have to wait for him to get up. I'm taking Nancy to the mall with Jonathan.' 

'Okay thanks. What time will dad be up?' 

Karen sighed, 'I don't know but if he tries to sleep past 12 then please wake him up.' 

Mike nodded. He did love his dad but he was sort of useless. He would either be sleeping or eating. Mike often wondered if his mum and dad had ever loved eachother. They must have at some point, right? 

Either way, he was going to see Will. 

And that was about the only thing he knew right now. 

El and Mike's relationship was sweet and innocent. 

Mike didn't want to hurt her feelings but after the Snowball, he couldn't help but think that maybe they would be better off as friends. He liked El a lot, he really did. El had helped him and he helped El at the worst time of her life. 

The first time they met, Mike felt something he hadn't ever really felt before. That was the first time a girl his age hadn't thought he was weird or super nerdy. She was treated like a science experiment because she could do things with her mind. 

Mike wanted to help her in any way possible which then lead him to start to have a crush on her. 

He didn't act on it immediately as he didn't want to take advantage of her. 

El had experienced a horrible childhood. She barely knew any words and she therefore had no idea about liking anyone as a crush. 

Not to mention that Mike's best friend had just been taken by the Demogorgon so it didn't seem like the right time. 

When he first kissed her, it had been short and felt more like a confession that a kiss. He liked it, and it seemed that El did as well. 

-

'Goodbye, Mike,' El had said before killing the Demogorgon. 

And with one last scream, she was gone. 

Just like that. 

Mike felt as if he had just been stabbed. 

She was gone. 

The next thing he remembered was sitting in the hospital waiting room. Dustin and Lucas had fallen asleep on eachother but Mike was wide awake. 

Will was probably in his hospital bed, with Joyce and Jonathan by his side. 

Mike wasn't sure if he could see his best friend like that. A hospital gown wrapped around his thin and delicate body, tubes coming from him and probably the worst of all, seeing him suffer. 

Mike felt extremely guilty, he should have protected him. Even though he knew he wouldn't have been able to, he still wished he'd gone home with Will and made sure he was safe. 

As soon as Jonathan came through the door, all of his feelings were replaced by happiness. He got up abruptly and ran out. He needed to see Will. Nothing else mattered, just him. 

Dustin and Lucas had just woken up. Realising that they had fallen asleep on eachother, they instantly responded by brushing off their shoulders and they began to have a go at eachother. 

Mike and Lucas were the first to go in, followed by Dustin. 

Will had looked just like Mike thought he would. But when he looked at him, Will was smiling. He wasn't in pain. 

'BYERS!' Mike shouted as he ran towards him. 

'Go easy on him,' Jonathan laughed. 

Mike and Lucas were both hugging Will. Mike's hands could feel his skinny torso under his hospital gown. 

He was engulfed by the smell of Will. 

He smelt like autumn. 

Particularly cinnamon. 

Mike let a single tear roll down his cheek. It was then instantly absorbed by the gown. He felt so safe and warm, that he could have stayed there forever. 

Dustin yanked both of them off of Will and gave him a tight hug. 

Mike was now looking for signs of pain or anger. But no matter how much he stared into his eyes, Will radiated nothing but pure happiness. 

'God, he is so brave,' Mike thought to himself as he started to get all teary again. 

When Dustin stood back up, they began talking over one another. 

'You won't believe happened when you were gone, man. It was mental. You had a funeral. Jennifer Hayse was crying. And Troy peed himself. In front of the whole school!' 

Will was laughing at first but then he started to cough. Mike grew worried. 

'You okay?' 

'It got me. The Demogorgon,' Will said.  

'We know. It's okay. It's dead. We made a new friend. She stopped it. She saved us. But she's gone now,' Mike didn't want to talk about her. Especially not in front of Will. 

Dustin could sense that so he started to talk for him.  
'Shes called Eleven.' 

'Like the number?' Will asked. 

'Well, we call her 'El' for short.' 

'She has super powers,'

'She's like a wizard.' Lucas whispered. 

'More like a Yoda,' Mike corrected. 

Will was the wizard. Will the Wise. That had always been his thing. Not El's. 

'She flipped a van with her mind and..' Will looked amazed. The others were all talking over eachother. They talked for what seemed like forever. 

-

Mike had spent almost a year without El. He had called her on his walkie-talkie every night. 

But when things with Will got bad again, El was not his top priority. Will was. His best friend needed him. Mike was there for him, seeing Will slip away more and more as each day went by. 

It got to the point where he couldn't even remember Hopper or Bob. But he knew Will was still there. Kind of like how he knew that El hadn't completely gone after killing the Demogorgon. 

When the doctor pointed at Mike, Will looked straight at him. 

It was then that it all became real. 

If Will had forgotten him, everything they'd been through together, he wouldn't know what to do with his life. 

Mike waved shyly at him. 

It's me, Mike. Come on please remember me. Please just say you remember me, Will. I love you so much, please. Come on. Please, Mike thought. 

He was practically begging now. If it was just Will and him, he would have held his hand and told him everything was going to be okay. 

He did love Will. 

Will was his best friend, of course he love him. 

'That's my friend.. Mike' Will said a few moments after just starting at him. 

Mike could now breathe. Thank god he remembered. 

He turned away because he could feel his cheeks start to burn up. He didn't really know why it was happening. Mike had always just said that it was because he had held his breathe for a while. But his subconscious mind told him otherwise. 

After that, one of the doctors brought out a part of the infected vines. He held a blow torch in his hands. The doctor nodded and the other lowered the blow torch. 

Will grabbed his chest, 'It stings a little.' 

The doctor nodded once more. As the torch went lower, the vine started to squirm around the glass container. Will now began to scream, saying that it hurts everywhere. The vine had now cracked one side of the glass. 

Mike was almost frozen in place. It was hurting him a lot. He was screaming because if how painful it was. Mike felt as if he was looking through a window. He couldn't move, couldn't get to Will. He just had to watch him suffer. It was somehow worse that he was there. He had witnessed all of that, but he couldn't physically move. 

Suddenly, Hopper nudged passed, shouting at the doctor. 

Telling him that he needs to stop. 

Once Will's heart was beating at a normal pace, Mike could see the sweat dripping down his face. His hair stuck to his forehead and Will's hand still remained on his chest. 

Mike stayed at the hospital and slept there. 

He made sure to sleep right next to his bed, just incase something happened. To be honest, he did really like being close to Will. 

Before the Upside Down, they would hold hands and Will would sit on Mike's lap. He was small enough to feel weightless and Mike often found it easy to wrap his arms around his waist. It was weird when he found out that Dustin and Lucas never did that, but that didn't stop him. 

If Will was well enough, Mike would've carried him to his house, where they could spend hours drawing and talking about comic books.

-

'Do you remember the first day we met? It was... it was the first day of kindergarten. I knew nobody. I had no friends and I just felt so alone and so scared but I saw you on the swings and you were alone too. You were just swinging by yourself and I just walked up to you and I asked. I asked if you wanted to be my friend and you said yes. You said yes. It was the best thing I've ever done.' 

Making friends with Will was the best thing he's ever done. Everything Will did just made Mike extremely happy. 

He could see the battle between Will and the Shadow Monster from the way he was crying. One second he let his emotions overflow and the next he seemed to recoil. 

This was different than when Joyce or Jonathan had talked to him. 

Each time, Mike thought the Shadow Monster would just take over him. But Will kept fighting. 

Will wanted to hear this more that anything else. He wanted Mike's words to sink in. 

-

Mike was standing with a trophy in hand. A dead Demogorgon had just flown through the window and was now lying on the ground. The door chain had been pulled back and El walked in. 

Mike instantly stumbled forward. 

She looked different, older. Her hair had been gelled back and she had makeup on. 

Mike really liked it. 

She almost looked like a guy. 

Mike couldn't help but think that it was like meeting a friend who you hadn't seen in years. But El was there. She was standing right in front of him. After a year, she came back. Mike hugged her and let himself relax for a second. 

-

'Protecting her? PROTECTING HER?' Mike began to raise his voice. Hopper had been hiding El this whole time. His emotions got the best of him. Mike started to hit Hopper, but it wasn't meant to be painful. 

He felt Hopper's arms around him. He was now pressed against his chest, where he couldn't hit him. 

Mike felt so many emotions. 

Anger. 

Confusion. 

Happiness. 

It was overwhelming. 

He let himself be embraced by Hopper as tears came out of his eyes. 

-

Mike ran to the cabin where Will was. His felt lightheaded and his heart was beating at an irregular pace. He kept tripping over his own feet and his breaths were short. 

When Mike saw light, he instantly knew Will was there. 

He rushed through the door to see Will partly strapped down to a bed. Heaters and a fire place surrounding him. The temperature was extremely hot. 

Joyce, Nancy and Jonathan were all sweating but Will was sweating the most. 

Joyce hugged her son tightly. As she let go of him, Mike could see the dried tear stains on his cheeks. 

He ran towards Will's bed. 

Will looked up at Mike and began to cry again. 

Seeing this, Mike climbed onto the bed and wrapped his arms around him. Mike held onto him while he sobbed. 

The contact wasn't enough. 

Will was back. His Will was back. 

Mike let his hand run through his hair and whispered, 'It's okay. You're safe now,' over and over again. 

Will could hear each syllable Mike said even though he was crying. 

It seemed like no one else was in the room apart from him and Mike. 

After Will calmed down a bit, he wrapped his arms around Mike. Will let his hands scrunch up Mike's dark blue jacket. They sat there for a while longer.

-

It was 11am when Mike arrived at Will's house. As he got out of the car, Will was standing in the doorway with a bucket of leftover sweats from the night before. 

'Karen will pick you up at 5pm. Have a nice time,' Ted said before driving off. 

'Hey, Mike!' Will wanted to enjoy his time with Mike, not think about what had happened the day before. 

They were both in his room now. 

'Do you want to talk about it?' Mike asked. 

'Not really,' Will replied, 'But I do need to tell you something.' 

Mike was worried. Was it something to do with the Upside Down? He found himself nodding. 

'I'm gay. Mike, I like guys,' Will said, looking straight at him. He was confident at first but he started to worry. 

Mike had always been told that being gay was a bad thing, but he never understood why. 

'Oh cool. How did you know?' 

'Well I always thought I was bi but then I never really found girls attractive.' 

Bi? What did that mean? 

'What's 'bi'?' 

Will began to explain, 'It's when you like girls and guys. You can be attracted to both.' 

'Oh! I never knew that was a thing. So... do you like someone?' Mike smiled at Will. He seemed generally interested. 

Will panicked. 

It's okay, just say yes and then he'll stop asking, Will said to himself.

'Yeah.' 

'What's his name?' 

Shit. He couldn't answer that. A sudden image of him kissing Mike popped into his mind. He felt his cheeks start to burn up. 

Will was fucked. 

There wasn't any point trying to hid it, Mike had seen. 

He glanced at Mike and then looked back at the ground. 

In that second, Mike's view on everything changed. 

Will liked him. 

He instantly felt pain in his stomach. A good pain. 

Wait. 

Shit. 

Did he like Will? 

A memory that he'd almost forgotten came back to him. The day he almost kissed Will on the field. 

HOLY SHIT. 

HE LIKED WILL. 

He always had. 

'Well, I think I'm bi.' Will now looked at Mike, he was smiling. After all this time thinking he was straight, he wasn't. Even though he was with El, Will still had a chance. 

'I always thought you were straight but I guess I was wrong,' Will giggled. 

'So did I.' 

He stared at Will. 

Will stared back at him. It felt right. Not that it didn't feel right with El but everything made sense now. He had always felt like there was something missing. 

Joyce knocked on the door and they jumped in surprise. 

'Yes,' Will answered. 

Joyce opened the door, 'I made sandwiches, they're in the kitchen if you want them.' 

'Thanks mum.' 

Joyce shut the door, leaving them alone again. Mike burst into laughter. Will was confused, but seeing Mike laugh was all he needed. They now both were laughing for no reason but they found it comforting. 

'Do you wanna get sandwiches?' Will said, trying to calm down. 

'Yeah, sure.' 

They left Will's room feeling like nothing could touch them. The day had been perfect. Mike had made up his mind. 

He needed to break up with El.


	5. Chapter 5

After leaving Will's, Mike went straight home. He wanted to meet up with El the next day as he was going to plan what he would say. 

He had liked her, but Mike realised that El hadn't been on his mind when the Shadow Monster started to effect Will. 

To be honest, he didn't think it would really be any different from how they act now. 

They just wouldn't kiss. Or be girlfriend and boyfriend. Mike just didn't want El to be upset. 

'El,' Mike said into his walkie-talkie. 

El was sat on her bedroom floor while sticking down Polaroids in a scrapbook. Her walkie-talkie lay on her bed. She jumped onto her bed, therefore scattering a few Polaroids over the floor. 

'Yes, Mike?' 

'Hey, um... are you free to come round?' 

He heard El move from her bed and into the kitchen where Hopper was washing the dishes. 

A few seconds later, she replied. 

'Hopper said I can.' 

'Okay, great. I'll see you soon. Over and out.' 

The first thing Mike said to El when they entered his bedroom was that he wanted to explain everything and that he didn't want to make El upset. 

'El, I want to break up.' 

The only time she'd heard of people breaking up was in movies where one of them cheated or something. 

Did Mike not want to see her again? What had she done to make him hate her? 

'I'm sorry,' El began to tear up. 

'What? Why are you sorry?' 

'Because I hurt you.' 

Mike felt sorry for her, she didn't know what had happened. 

'No El, you didn't hurt me at all. I want to break up, not to never see eachother again. I want us to be friends. We can still take stupid photos together and hang out.' 

'Hold hands?' 

'Yeah if you want. Everything is kinda the same, we just aren't in a relationship.' 

El was a little bit sad but they would still be friends and they could still go out and take stupid photos together. 

'Okay, let's be friends.' 

'Stay there, I have something to give you.'  

He ran down to the basement and picked up a gift bag. He returned to his room, slightly out of breath. Mike handed her the bag. When El opened it, she saw that it was a silver necklace and a matching bracelet. 

'Wow, you must have saved up all your pocket money to buy this for me.' 

'Oh well, at least you like it,' Mike said, smiling. 

'I love it. I got you something aswell.' 

El gave Mike the present. He could see that it was very neatly wrapped. It was a scrapbook full of the whole party. 

'Whoa! Thanks! This must have taken ages to make.' 

'Well, I was going to give it to you when it was nearer to Christmas but I was pretty much finished anyway.' 

Whilst El put on her necklace and bracelet, Mike looked through the scrapbook. There were pictures of them at the Snowball and when all six of them went to the mall and decided to try to fit in a small photo booth. 

As he turned over, he saw a picture of Will when he had fallen asleep on Mike's lap. Will had looked so peaceful that Mike didn't want to wake him up. He imagined Will falling asleep on his lap and being able to play with his hair. He found that his jaw was starting to hurt from how much he was smiling. 

El noticed and followed his gaze. It was a picture of Mike and Will. 

'Will,' El said. 

It was more of a statement than a question. 

Mike snapped out of his daydreaming and looked at her. He nodded slowly. 

'That's why I wanted to break up. It's nothing you did, or said. It's kinda complicated but we would always act like more than friends and I guess I only just realised and...' Mike started to blabber on. 

El had never really saw a guy and another guy together, but come to think of it, she didn't know why. It was just who he liked and Mike can't change it. 

El and him were friends now. 

And friends don't lie. 

'I'm happy for you guys.' 

Mike was so shocked. He was expecting her to be sad or angry. 

'Oh, thanks. I haven't actually told him yet though.' 

'Wait what? I'll do it for you.' El grabbed his walkie-talkie and began to run around. 

'NO,' Mike began to shout whilst chasing after her. He began to get tired and collapsed on the floor. El collapsed next to him, still holding the walkie-talkie. They burst out laughing. 

'Will. Mike has a confession to make. He likes you and he wants to kiss you so hard, you run out of breath,' El said before hugging her sides as she had a stitch. 

Mike blushed. 

'Omg, you do, don't you!' 

Mike tried to turn away but El stopped him 

'If you want to, I'd say go for it. He clearly likes you so why not?' 

Mike shrugged.  
'Are you allowed to stay the night?' 

'I'll have to check but only if you tell Will tomorrow. Deal?' 

Mike couldn't believe he was about to do this. 'Deal.' 

'Omg, what are you going to wear?' 

'I don't know, probably something I usually wear.' El looked so offended. 

'No way! This is going to be a day you'll remember. You have to wear something nice.' Now it was Mike's turn to look offended. 

'Thanks for saying my clothes aren't nice.' 

Mike couldn't help but laugh. He literally just broke up with her and now she's helping him plan an outfit to confess his feelings to Will. It was crazy. 

In the end, he decided to wear black jeans, a white shirt with a baggie, red sweater over the top. 

'And one more thing you can't forget.' El handed him a pink lip balm. 

'Really?' 

'Just incase.' El nudged him in the arm. 

'Okay fine. Don't you need it though?' 

'It's okay, you can keep it. I have so many at home.' 

'Oh, thanks.' 

'Guys, dinner's ready,' Karen shouted from the kitchen. 

'COMING!' 

Maybe some things hadn't changed. 

'Karen, can you ask Hopper if I can stay over?' 

'Yes of course, I'm sure he'll say yes.' 

After a few moments of them talking on the phone, Hopper had said yes. 

'You might have to borrow some pajamas but there should be spares. What time would you like to get dropped off?' 

El looked at Mike. 

'Around 11 please, I think Mike wants to invite Will round at 12.' 

'Oh okay, yeah that should be fine.' 

El gave him a side glance. Even though he was annoyed, he was glad that he had someone to talk to about this kind of stuff.


	6. Chapter 6

'Ah!' 

Mike opened his eyes to see El standing next to his bed, smiling. 

'Get up! It's your special day!' 

Mike rubbed his eyes and rolled over. 

'It's 10am, I'm getting dropped off in an hour but I also need to help you get ready. I mean if you want to share your love confession in your pajamas then go ahead, but I would advise not to considering how nice that outfit is.' 

El pointed to the clothes he had previously picked out the day before. 

Mike followed her gaze and got out of bed immediately. He only had an hour to get ready. He would usually take a few minutes to get dressed but he did want to make an effort for Will. 

After Mike put everything on, El led him to the mirror. 

'Pretty,' El whispered. 

Mike giggled and looked at the ground. He never really saw himself as good-looking, Troy and the bullies would make fun of him for it. 

'Few more touches.' 

El twirled him around and sprayed him with perfume. 

'You got it in my mouth! It's in my mouth!' 

Mike ran to the bathroom and started to wash his mouth out. El ran after him whilst laughing her head off. 

'We're going to have to put on another layer of lip balm.' 

'That's okay, it tastes good,' He said after getting the perfume out of his mouth. 

-

'El, you ready to go?' 

'Yeah. Coming Mrs Wheeler.' 

Her and Mike ran downstairs. 

'Oh you look nice, Mike. Is there a special occasion?' 

'Uh... no, not really. Just felt like it.' 

El turned and winked at him. 

Before she walked out the door, she gave Mike a hug and whispered something into his ear. 

'Good luck,' she said. 

El broke the hug and saluted to him. 

'Farewell good soldier,' she said in a low-pitched voice. 

Mike mouthed 'Thank you' as she opened the car door. 

Then the car sped off and Mike was left in the doorway, alone. He had a whole hour until Will would arrive. 

What would he do? 

Well, he hadn't planned to be pacing around his bedroom for the next 45 minutes. He started to sweat and panic. Mike wanted to plan out what he would say to Will. 

'Maybe telling him I broke up with El would be a good start,' Mike accidentally said out loud. 

Then he heard the doorbell ring. He sprinted down the stairs but hesitated before opening the door. 

'One sec!' 

Mike quickly made sure he looked okay. He applied another layer of lip balm and played with his hair a bit. 

He opened the door handle to see Will standing there with a bag full of sweets and chocolates. 

Mike could see the shock on Will's face. 

-

Karen had asked Will to come round at 12.  

She hadn't said there was a reason so he just assumed it was for a game of D&D. 

When he saw Mike, he realised that no one else was there. He was dressed up. 

And he looked really good. 

Extremely good. 

His face must have shown his liking as Mike blushed. 

'Hey,' Mike said nervously. 

Will let his eyes wonder to his lips. They looked smooth and slightly pinker than usual. 

Mike led Will in, he could sense that Will was getting distracted by him. 

They went into Mike's bedroom and he shut the door. Will now realised something was up with him. 

Mike sat on his bed and noticed that his hands were shaking. He scrunch them up in his covers. Will sat next to him. 

'Mike, what is it?' 

Mike couldn't believe he was going to tell him how he felt. He was now looking for ways to divert the conversation. But he'd already accepted this. 

'I broke up with El.' 

Will was extremely surprised by this. He wondered if there had been a fight or something as they always seemed happy when Will was with them. He tried to push the thought that he now had a chance to the back of his head. 

'This must have been really hard for Mike,' Will thought. 

'I'm so sorry. Why did you two break up?' 

'Don't worry.' 

Don't worry? This was the whole point of breaking up, to be with Will. It would have been the perfect way to tell him but oh no Mike had to mess it up once again. 

Will put his hand on Mike's back. He just felt sorry for him. They sat there for a while, none of them breaking the silence. 

Suddenly, Mike rested his hand on top of Will's.  
Then held it. But it was different that all the other times. 

Mike looked at Will. 

Now noticing this, Will looked back at him. It felt like that day on the field, they didn't even need to talk about it. 

Mike leaned in, red-faced and slightly unsure. 

He closed his eyes. 

Will hadn't even been given time to panic. 

He leaned in as well. 

They were inches from eachother. 

They could feel eachother's breathe on their faces. 

Will brought his hands to Mike's face. 

He could feel his sharp cheek bones and his soft skin. 

Will tried not smile, this was what he'd wanted since becoming friends with him but it was finally happening. 

Using his hands to guide Mike's face, he pulled Mike closer. 

Their lips touched. 

Will's whole body went limp, it was even better than he had imagined. It was gentle, soft and purely beautiful. 

Will could taste the strawberry lip balm and wondered where Mike had gotten it. It tasted sweet. 

They had only been kissing for a few seconds before Mike broke it. Will looked up to make sure he was okay, only to see that Mike was smiling. 

His eyes crinkled and shone when the light lit up his face. 

Will kept his hands on Mike's face. 

He had a contagious smile and he soon found himself laughing because of how happy he was. God, Will had wanted this for what seemed like forever. Nothing and no one mattered in that moment, apart from Mike. 

'That was why,' Mike said. 

Will was now confused. 

What on earth was he talking about? 

Mike leaned in and kissed him again. This time without hesitation or worry. 

Now Will got it, the whole reason Mike broke up with El was because of him. Because Mike liked him. Not a fight or disagreement. 

He giggled whilst trying to kiss Mike. 

'What?' Mike asked, smiling. 

'It's just, I haven't really felt this happy. Like ever. It seems like this is all just a dream that I will eventually wake up from.' 

'I know, it's so strange that yesterday I was still El's boyfriend but now... well now I'm yours.' 

It hit Will suddenly. They were now in an actual relationship. 

'Wait... are we boyfriends?' 

'If you want us to be, then of course.' 

Will didn't think he could get any happier. 

'Alright, boyfriend. Also, where did you get that lip balm from?' 

'Uh... El let me have it. She's got already got loads. She said you'd like it,' Mike said. 

He found himself blushing when Will had noticed. 

Well, tasted more like. 

His boyfriend nodded, El and Mike were friends now and she was okay with them being together. 

Mike pulled the lip balm out of his jeans pocket and handed it to Will. 

He opened it and started to apply it to his lips. 

Mike couldn't help but comb through Will's hair with his hands. He felt a shiver go down his spine, he loved the feeling of his hair being played with. 

Still combing through his hair, Mike kissed him again. Then he licked his lips. 

'Mmm... tastes nice,' Mike winked. 

Uncontrollable laughter followed. 

They were both so happy. 

 

Together.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry that I didn't write sooner. I was on holiday for some of the time and I didn't have much motivation for the rest of it. But anyway, I hope you like this chapter :)

It was getting pretty late.  
The sky was painted with purple, pink and yellow to create a beautiful gradient. Faint stars dotted the heavens as small swallows chirped in the distance. 

Will and Mike were snuggled up together in a fluffy blanket. 

Mike could now see the sadness in Will's eyes. 

Ever since the incident with the Upside Down, he wasn't allowed to ride home after sunset. 

Mike brought his hand from Will's side to his face and just left it there. Feeling the warmth on his cheek, Will lent into his hand and shut his eyes. 

'Will, it's okay. I'll make sure you get home in time, don't worry.' 

'It's not that. I just wish I could pause time and stay with you forever,' Will said, opening his eyes. 

He stared at Mike. 

'I'd like that too.' 

Mike smiled and rubbed Will's nose with his own. 

'We need to get you home. You can sit on the back of my bike. We can do something tomorrow if you want, like hangout here or go to the mall. Anything you want, as long as I'm with you.' 

Will nodded and the two of them got ready to leave. 

Will climbed onto the back of Mike's bike and looped his arms through his boyfriend's. 

~

Whilst cycling back, Will kept getting distracted by Mike's hair and eventually he couldn't resist touching it. He ran his hands through Mike's soft hair. 

Will heard him chuckle before Mike slowed down. 

When the bike completely stopped, Mike turned around on his seat to face Will. 

'I love it when you touch my hair but give me a warning next time because I might crash and get hurt.' 

Mike tried to act angry. 

'Well then, I guess I'll just have to kiss it and make it better.' 

'Its annoying how adorable you are.' 

Mike kissed him, but it was more than a quick kiss. Mike new what he wanted. He wanted Will. 

It was scary for Mike as this was new for him, he'd always thought he was straight. 

But then this was new for Will as well, he'd never been with anyone before Mike. 

Whatever people would say to them, they would be there for eachother, with eachother. 

~

Will stood in the doorway of his house whilst him and Mike said goodbye. 

'I really like you, Will Byers.' 

'I really like you too, Mike Wheeler.' 

Will gave Mike a hug and kissed his forehead. He buried his face into Mike's shirt and felt how warm his chest was. 

Mike climbed onto his bike and blew a kiss to Will. He caught it and placed his hands on his heart. Mike didn't think Will could get even cuter. 

Will kept his hands on there until Mike's bike was out of sight. Then he muttered something under his breath. 

'Crazy. Together.' 

~

Will tried to shut the door quietly but he was overwhelmed with a sudden burst of energy. 

Luckily, Jonathan was in his own room listening to music and Joyce was playing with their dog outside. 

Will danced around the kitchen until his legs ached. Then he sat down and took a moment to process everything. 

That was when it really hit him. 

Will pinched himself to make sure it wasn't a dream. It all seemed too good to be true. But it was real, this was real and they were actually together. 

Jonathan entered the kitchen looking confused. 

'You're so loud, I was trying to listen to music but all I could hear was you prancing around. You okay, bud?' 

Will's brother could see that he seemed happy, but he would never be sure. 

Every time Lonnie would make fun of him, Will would always act fine. If he started to cry, Lonnie would call him a faggot. It never got as bad as hitting him but Jonathan always knew that it could have done. Each time this happened, Will would run into Jonathan's arms and sob. 

He had been through so much pain and trauma but in this moment, Jonathan could see none of it. 

Will was still so shocked, all he could say was, 'V-Very good.' He giggled after hearing his slightly squeaky voice. 

'Did something happen?' 

'Maybe...' Will said slowly. 

'What?! You can't leave me hanging like that!' 

Of course he would tell Johnathan. Will probably trusted his brother more than anyone. 

'It's Mike.' 

His brother smirked. 

'Okay, spill.' 

Will rolled his eyes. 

'He broke up with El. They're still friends though, don't worry.' 

Jonathan was now confused. 

'Wait, why? They seemed so happy together?' 

'I asked the same question and then he... well, he um.' 

He suddenly grew shy. Will took a deep breath. 

'And then he kissed me -' 

'Holy shit, Will!' Johnathan might have shouted this a bit to loudly. 'Hey!' Joyce exclaimed from the garden. Jonathan forgot that the back door was open as he was instantly scared by her. 

'What the - Will this is amazing! No wonder you're so happy. I mean I remember when me and Nancy finally got together but wow. It's been 8 years!' 

All Will could do was smile. 

'So has he just realized or...?' 

'Well Mike said that something had always felt different about our 'friendship' but he didn't know why until now.' Jonathan nodded. 

'Sorry if this sounds weird but when he kissed you, did you like it? Did he like it?' 

Will blushed. 'Yeah and I guess Mike did as well because he kissed me many times.' 

'Ugh you guys are such love birds!' They both giggled. 

'Have you told any of your friends yet or am I the first person to hear?' 

Will thought for a while. 

He knew that some of them suspected he was gay, but not anything about Will and Mike. Would Mike even want to tell them? He now realized that they hadn't really thought through everything. 

'I'm guessing that's a no then. Look, it's okay. Whatever you and Mike decide to do, think about it when the time comes. And for your friends, they seem pretty chill. I'm sure they won't have an issue with it but if they do, don't worry about it. Just enjoy now. Dude you and Mike are together, nothing else should matter!' 

Will smiled again. Nothing else did matter although he couldn't help but wonder what Mike was doing now.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to say sorry for being so inconsistent but thank you for waiting, I really appreciate all of you. 
> 
> I took some time to try and improve my writing skills and hopefully it shows :)

Mike lazily road his bike home. 

As he cycled round the corner, he noticed that the main light was on. 

'That's odd,' Mike thought to himself. 

He could remembered switching the lights off before they left. Mike dropped his bike by the door and then entered. 

'Hi, honey. We came back earlier than expected,' his mum called from upstairs. 

Mike suddenly felt self-conscious, all his clothes smelled like Will. He tried to sneak up to his bedroom so that no one would notice. 

'Mike, how was it? Mum told me Will came over.' Nancy had stopped making a sandwich and was now right behind her brother. 

Mike started to panic. 

He didn't want to talk about Will incase he spilled and then they might hate him. 

'Me and El broke up.' 

As soon as Mike said this, he felt so stupid. He know that he should've just said 'It was fine,' but he was scared. 

Talking about El might have changed the conversation, but it certainly didn't stop it. 

'Oh Mike, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?' 

No matter how much he liked to tease his sister, he could always tell how much she loved him. The look Nancy gave was genuine and filled with sorrow. 

'Yeah, I'm fine. Wi - El's fine. We're fine,' Mike said quickly. He was slightly embarrassed by the fact that he almost said Will instead of El. 

'Well clearly not if you guys broke up. Look, I'm free to talk if you want to.' 

Mike knew he had to talk about Will at some point.

'Okay, just give me a minute,' he said before sprinting into his bedroom. 

He was pacing around the room while recighting what he was going to say. His face was turning red.   
Mike wished he could just poof out of existence. 

He closed his eyes and imagined Will lying beside him, Will's chest rising against Mike's upper stomach. The comforting thought of Will was the only thing stopping him from completely losing it. 

He took a deep breath in and prepared himself for the worst. 

'Nancy, I'm ready.' 

She opened the door as soon as he said that, she must have been waiting outside his room. 

Mike was sat on his bed. He couldn't even look at her, so he just sat there staring at Will's old drawings he had collected over the years. 

Nancy sat next to him. 

She followed Mike's gaze. 

'This isn't about El, is it?' 

Mike shook his head. 

His whole body tensed up as soon as he felt impact. 

After a few seconds, he realised that Nancy was hugging him and his muscles relaxed. This warmed Mike's heart, as the two never usually hugged. 

He finally plucked up the courage to talk. 

'I broke up with El last night but we're still friends. I broke up with her because I have feeling for someone else.' 

Mike paused to see if Nancy would react. 

To Mike's surprise, Nancy smiled. There was no hate or confusion in her eyes. 

Mike started to fiddle with his fingers. He tried to hold back tears. 

'I- I um -' 

Mike was only aware of his feelings for Will 24 hours ago and now he was actually about to tell his sister. 

God, Mike was so scared. His legs were shaking and he had to bite his lip to stop the tears from pouring out. 

'Will.'   
Nancy meant this as a statement, not a question. Again, her voice was calming and kind. 

Mike knew he could dismiss it, tell her that she was wrong. But what was the point, he'd gone this far anyway. 

Mike nodded and his sister pulled him in for a hug again. 

His tears rolled onto her purple cardigan, leaving darker patches as Nancy held him tight. 

'It's okay, it's okay. No matter who you like, I'll always love you,' she tried to wipe the tears off his face, 'To be honest, I kind of wondered why you smelled of cinnamon.' 

Mike giggled. But because his nose was blocked, it came out a lot deeper than he expected. 

~

'So, considering that, how was today,' Nancy asked when Mike had stopped crying. 

He blushed.   
Mike really wanted to talk about Will now he had seen his sister's reaction. 

'I told him that me and El broke up. He comforted me and then I- um, well I-,' Mike was cut off. 

'Micheal Wheeler, I can't believe it! You two kissed, didn't you?' 

Mike buried his face in his hands before he would die of embarrassment. Although, when he said it aloud, it felt surreal.

Nancy gasped, 'You obviously really like him then.  Did Will, you know, also like it?' 

Mike's cheeks had turned hot pink. 

'I mean it went on for a while. Yeah, I think so.' 

Nancy smirked, 'I'm sure he loved it. Will practically beams when you're around,' she tiled her head up to inspect Mike's hair, 'and it looks as if you got your hair brushed for the first time.' 

Nancy giggled as Mike nudged her side. 

'Hey! You're so annoying and, for the record, I do brush my hair!' 

'It's what I'm here for, and I know, it's just that it looks as if it's been brushed a few times. I wonder why?' Nancy had her arm around Mike's back. 

'Shut up,' Mike said, clearly smiling. 

~

'When you were with El, did you like her? Or have you always known about Will?' 

Mike didn't really know how to respond.   
Yes, he had liked her but subconsciously, he'd always known about Will. 

'I really liked El but as it turns out, I had liked Will and I didn't even realise. At first, I thought we were more affectionate towards eachother because we were close friends and then I realised. I've already told you about the rest so yeah. Oh, and we might go to the mall tomorrow.' 

Mike thought he had rambled on for ages but his sister's attention span suggested otherwise. 

'Wow, you guys are already going on dates!' 

'Technically, it's not a 'date' but whatever. I thought it would be nice if we went to Scoops Ahoy for ice-cream. Will hasn't seen Robin in ages,' Mike paused to see if Nancy was hurt as Steve also worked there. 

Instead she replied, 'You're such a gentleman! I think it's a great idea, just don't get home to late otherwise mum will have a fit!' 

Mike smirked. 

'You speak from experience?' 

Nancy gasped and nudged him. 

'Okay, that was uncalled for! And anyway, I bet you will. You'll be too busy snogging in the changing rooms.' 

Mike turned bright red at the thought of his hands on Will's chest and them kissing passionately. 

Nancy bursted out into laughter at the sight of Mike's face. 

'Oh my god, you definitely will! Look, if you don't, I'll give you £5, but if you do,' Nancy imitated money, rolling her thumb and index finger together, 'Deal?' 

Mike rolled his eyes, 'Okay, fine. Deal!'


End file.
